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Stop. Take a Deep Breath. Listen. Obey.


12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Eph 6:12

Do we believe that we are engaged in a daily spiritual battle?  I am sure that if you have read the Bible or understand some of its basic tenants, you are aware of this fact.  The question is do you believe it?  Belief is measuring your life by the truth you accept. Belief is being able to see this truth in the midst of crisis.

Satan hates the church and hates when the church of God progresses. Satan has been using the same playbook for thousands of years.  He has become an expert of what the church looks like before his influence on them is in jeopardy. When he sees the characteristics of holiness, of godliness, of divine hunger, in a body of believers, he moves in to strike with vengeance.

His primary weapon is to stir up the church against each other.  He will use good people to stir up instances where offense can be taken. He will manipulate the circumstances to cause a person to think something is true though it is not.  He will use slander and secret meetings, accusation and stepping out from authority to promote his influence and to achieve his end, rendering the church, which should remain at war with him and in pursuit of God, to a church killing off each other.

Brothers and sisters, God help us to not let this happen. God help us to be able to see the subversion of Satan and commit to war with him alone. Allow me to pastor you with Biblical counsel:

1.   You must say yes to God and no to self (Matt 16:24). Begin with a position that no matter what place you find yourself going (accuser or accused) that you will remember the words of Paul and recognize that the other person is not your enemy.  Your enemy is (Lucifer, the devil, the great serpent, the destroyer of souls, the accuser of the brethren).

2.  You must put on the full armor of God. You must not do that once, but daily.   The armor is given by God and is put on as an act of worship. In putting on the armor - you are saying that you are willing to fight. You are claiming your role in unity in the Lord's army. You are arming yourself beyond your own capacity   You are willing to stand in defense of the one behind you and beside you.  I caution each one of us, we see the people of God destroyed for lack of committing to the common defense.  Too many can be only concerned about their own selves or interests.

3.  You must be a person of a renewed mind. 2 Cor 4:16 - 18 tells us not to fix our eyes on not what is seen but what is unseen.  Matt 18: 15 - 17 gives us clear instruction of the pathway to reconciliation with a person who has offended us.  Luke 6:27 - 29 compels us to bless those who have done us wrong and pray for those who mistreat us.  Romans 12: 1-2 speaks of how we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Out with the old and in with the new!   This is our act of worship - when we trust God to do what He has taught us He will.

It simply leads me to encourage you, if the things you are experiencing causes you to react in human effort/thinking, your mind needs renewed. There is nothing that you are seeing or experiencing that is beyond the knowledge of God. Instead of trying to resolve it through human effort, hit your knees and surrender the situation to God, asking Him for His heart and mind.  

THEN - stay until He gives you.   Don't stay with a divided mind, for James 1: 7-8 tells us that such a man will not receive anything from God, they are unstable in all their ways.  Stay with a mind of submission to God saying change my heart or change theirs, and commit to love until that happens.

Remember again the words of Paul:  (I like it from the King James)

"Love sufferers Long" 1 Cor 13:4.

Have you suffered in loving someone...? 






Comments

  1. SteveJanuary 13, 2018 at 8:46 AM

    As humans, it is so easy to first allow that nature to rule our thoughts and judgements.
    God help me to remember these words of wisdom and renew my mind daily through your word and prayer in order to know who I am battling and how to protect myself, my family and my church.
    Amen.

    ReplyDelete

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